THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 2, 1996 TAG: 9605310077
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G2 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: GARDENING REMINDERS
SOURCE: Robert Stiffler
LENGTH: 95 lines
DON'T TRY TO save money by using dishwasher soap instead of insecticidal soap on your tomatoes. Organic Gardening magazine reports that home gardeners in Florida who used inexpensive detergents delayed the ripening of their tomatoes. Insecticidal soap sprays are different from detergent.
An alternative is to do as I do - never spray. That means tomatoes often die early, but I don't like to spray anything I'm going to eat.
Another tomato idea from Organic Gardening is to put a juice can on top of the stake or tomato cage. Then put a yellow plastic bag over the can. (This newspaper sometimes arrives in a yellow plastic bag.) Spread petroleum jelly over the bag. Yellow attracts whiteflies, and you'll catch many of them before they destroy your tomato vines. RAISE MOWER BLADES
As the temperature rises, start gradually raising your lawn-mower cutting height. Three to 3 1/2 inches is the recommended summer cutting height for fescue. You should not be trimming off more than one-third of the grass blade. You can recycle the trimmings back into the lawn, avoiding the cost of hauling off excess clippings. Never mow wet grass. Grass in the sunshine dries faster than that in the shade so always mow it first. GET RID OF BAGWORMS
Late May to mid-June is when bagworms hatch. If you have a bagworm problem, now is the time to spray with Orthene, malathion or Isotox. If you still see some crawling after 10 days, spray again. Bagworms look like tiny ice cream cones that hang on the bottoms of limbs of cedar, arbor vitae and cypress. They can kill a tree in a year by eating all the foliage. VOLE CONTROL
The newest idea in controlling voles is to soak Ramik, which is a type of rodent bait available in hardware stores, in apple juice and then drop it in vole holes or wherever you see vole damage. Voles like apples, and although you'll never eliminated all of them, this treatment is said to keep them under control. UNUSUAL BULB IDENTIFIED
This is for the couple who brought in weed and bulb questions to McDonald Garden Center in Chesapeake when I was signing books there. Your weed or flower, if you prefer, is a buttercup as confirmed by the McDonald Certified Virginia Nurserymen.
As to ``baboon flower'' bulb that you had purchased in Nags Head, it is Babonia, a tender bulb, that most likely will not survive winter weather here. It is from Africa with freesia-like flowers that are funnel shaped. Flowers are pale blue, white, violet and reddish. It's not listed in many horticultural volumes. Instructions call for fall planting, but it should be heavily mulched and protected from winter cold. FROST-PRUF PUT TO TEST
It was good to hear a local gardener report recently that when the cold nights threatened his apples and peaches, he sprayed with Frost-Pruf - and it worked. The frost did not damage his fruit blossoms. Most new garden products work, but occasionally some do not, so it was good to learn that this one lives up to a gardener's expectations. CHECK FOR MUSKRATS
In reference to a May 12 letter from Henry M. Gelfand of Virginia Beach about a dying willow tree, landscape architect Pat Bridges reports that he has found willow trees in similar locations being damaged by muskrats. If you have a willow-tree problem, you might check for muskrats. If in doubt, set a trap. Muskrats can be vicious at tearing up plants and tree roots. HOW TO GROW MUSHROOMS
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden News reports that if you want to grow many kinds of gourmet edible mushrooms, these folks provide instructions: MushroomPeople, Box 220, Summertown, Tenn. 38483. PLANT EXCHANGE
For those wanting moonflower vines (Calonyction), a woman from Chesapeake writes: ``I bought Burpee moonflower seed at the Kmart at Chesapeake Crossing on South Military Highway. If soaked overnight before planting, they are very prolific.'' They probably are also available at other Kmart stores in the area.
From Shirley W. Brendle, Virginia Beach: ``When you mentioned I had Chinese lanterns to share, I had an overwhelming response - over 36 people called. I have contacted all of them and most have come and picked up their plants. Some even brought me plants from their yards. I now have ajuga plants and bluebell (scilla or wood hyacinth) bulbs that I would like to share. Thanks for helping me find good homes for my plants.'' Call Shirley at 340-5460. She lives at 3337 Plainsman Trail, which is in the 23452 zip code area of Virginia Beach.
From Carlton and Gloria Goodman comes a request for seeds of moonflower moonvine and ajuga. Call 497-3542. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
File photo
Spraying tomatoes with dish detergent may delay ripening. by CNB